The recipe for science policy: a mix of quality, internationality and impact
30 Nov 2011
It’s easy to sum up the basic nature and strategic objectives of the Academy of Finland: the Academy is the leading source of funding for scientific research in Finland. We’re also a major force in the Finnish research and innovation system and have a strong voice in influencing international science policy. Against this backdrop, the Academy has established a number of ways in which it aims to enhance the quality and impact of research, strengthen the position of scientific research in the R&I system and create more opportunities for Finnish researchers to engage in international research collaboration.
The Finnish Government’s priorities for science policy seem to be very much in sync with the Academy’s objectives. As stated in the Government Programme, long-term economic growth and the renewal of the economic structure depend on investment in basic research and applied R&D. A good example of this is the Finnish national policy on research infrastructure (RI). One of the outcomes of the performance negotiations between the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and the Academy was that the Academy’s 2012 appropriations budget was earmarked with some EUR 6.5 million for projects included in the national RI roadmap. Four projects have been selected: the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS), the European Advanced Translational Research Infrastructure (EATRIS), the Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI) and the European Life Science Infrastructure for Biological Information (ELIXIR). In addition, the State Budget includes a total of EUR 4 million that has been set aside for RI funding. This money will be distributed by the Academy. On that score, the concerns voiced by both the Academy and the scientific community at large about the poor state of Finnish RIs have been heard. We expect that this sound policy will continue.
The Government also wants to reorganise a number of state sectoral research institutes into larger units and clarify the division of responsibilities in basic research between universities and the sectoral institutes. This would, as the Government puts it, facilitate the transfer of responsibilities from sectoral research institutes to universities and enhance the cooperation between the organisations. The Academy will follow these developments with keen interest. After all, the bulk of our funding goes to researchers working at universities and research institutes. It’s also important that scientific research in Finland can be carried out in environments that are conducive to research work, meet international standards and generate impact.
The Strategic Centres for Science, Technology and Innovation are also on the Government’s agenda; it recognises the need to develop the centres’ operation. The Academy supports this policy, and we will proactively participate in the funding of the strategic centres in 2012 as well, while taking into account that companies will bear the main responsibility for the funding.
Research in demand
The Government Programme also highlights a string of core objectives and key research topics, such as the reduction of poverty, inequality and social exclusion, the consolidation of public finances, and the strengthening of sustainable economic growth, employment and competitiveness. In addition to these, several other areas are mentioned where research is needed: the digital economy; energy-efficient construction; energy technology; climate and environmental technology; the Baltic Sea; biodiversity and ecosystem services; the mining sector; business and entrepreneurship skills in agriculture; the forest sector; the service sector; pedagogy and education; social welfare and healthcare; legal policy; gender studies; immigration; gambling problems; the copyright system; and disability. This extensive list of research topics is a good example of the indispensable role of scientific research in societal development.
A number of these research topics are also included in the grand challenges faced by society that will be given priority focus in the Academy of Finland’s research policy over the next few years.
The Government emphasises that Finland’s success and enhanced welfare is dependent on broad-based knowledge, professional skills and high levels of expertise. The Academy absolutely agrees with this statement. Furthermore, we think it’s important that the Government ensure sufficient funding for education, know-how and research. It’s good to see that this is mentioned in the Government Programme.
However, we can see some dark clouds gathering in terms of the funding for research. Although the Government Programme talks about securing an “adequate level of funding for research, development and innovation activity”, it seems unlikely that we will achieve the desired level of 4 per cent of GDP. Finland has urged other EU countries to aim for a 3 per cent level in R&D funding, and now we seem to be heading towards that same level ourselves, only from the wrong direction. This is a real challenge for both the Government and private businesses. It would be wise not to abandon the target of research excellence, where Finland is a country that stakes its future on competitive science.
The Academy’s 2011 budget is EUR 346 million, but the Government is proposing to cut our appropriations in 2012 by nearly 12 per cent. According to the outlined proposal, the Academy’s budget will remain at EUR 312 million from 2012 to 2015, which in real terms corresponds to the 2008 level. This means that investment in research of the highest quality will in fact decrease. Another cause of concern for the Academy is the insufficient level of operational expenditure, which threatens our operational continuity at current level.
A new breed of science and innovation policy
As I’m writing this, we’re getting ready for the publication of the Government’s Development Plan for Education and Research 2011–2016 and for the start of the international evaluation of the Academy of Finland. We expect the international evaluation to show just how much the Academy has increased its international activities over the last few years. A recent example is the Wireless Innovation between Finland and US (WIFIUS) virtual institute, a joint initiative between the Academy, Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, and the US National Science Foundation (NSF).
WIFIUS is a virtual institute that provides a platform for building long-term research and education collaboration between the US and Finland in the field of wireless networking. The NSF has also launched other virtual institutes, one with India in mathematics and statistical sciences and another with a number of countries in the physics of living systems. In September this year, the Academy, Tekes and the NSF also opened a joint call in the field of wireless networks research. The total funding for research projects came to EUR 3.7 million, of which the Academy’s contribution is EUR 950,000. Tekes’ share is EUR 1.2 million and the NSF’s EUR 1.5 million.
Besides the US and Canada, the Academy’s key partners in international collaboration include China, India, Japan, Latin America and Russia. Through these collaborations, we get a good view of other countries’ research priorities and investment, which means that we can point Finnish researchers in the right direction. This is also one way to maintain the competitiveness of Finnish research. A number of evaluations have underlined the challenges of maintaining an international presence in the global research arena – the Academy will continue to focus on tackling these challenges.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture is also starting work to prepare an action programme for science policy. A programme for innovation policy will be drafted in parallel with this programme, under the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. Both programmes are expected to be completed by the end of 2012. The Academy welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the preparation of these action programmes. At present, we’re working on the next review of the state of science in Finland, which will also be completed in 2012. The results of the review will also benefit the action programmes and be used in updating the education, research and innovation policy and development proposals for the Government’s midterm review in 2013.
All in all, I think we can all agree that these are exceptionally exciting and challenging times for science and innovation policy.
Markku Mattila
President, Academy of Finland